Strap adjuster



Feb. 21, 1961 C. WEBER STRAP ADJUSTER Filed 0G13. 20. 1958 lll/11111110 IN VENTOR.

CHR/5 To; WEBER BYgcd/Qam/ United States Patent O STRAP ADJUSTER Christof Weber, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor, by mesne assignments, to William M. Noe, Pasadena, Calif.

Filed Oct. 20, 1958, Ser. No. 768,284

8 Claims. (Cl. 24-171) This invention relates to a strap adjuster, particularly for buckles of the quick release type.

An object of the present invention is to provide a strap adjuster that is loosely incorporated in a buckle and retains its operative position by engagement with the hinge of the buckle, thereby providing an eicient yet inexpensive construction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a strap adjuster for buckles which have pivotally-connectedshells or parts, the adjuster being loosely disposed between the shells and held captive by the buckle pivot.

A further object of the invention is to provide a strap adjuster, as above contemplated, that has an easy-tooperate sliding movement and readily accessible to the user when strap adjustment is desired.

The invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description. However, the drawing merely shows and the following description merely describes, one embodiment ofthe present invention, which is given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawing, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views. l

Fig. 1 is a partly broken plan View of a buckle provided with a strap adjuster according to the present 'in` vention.

Fig. 2 is a partial side edge and partial longitudinal sectional view as taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. l, the buckle being in strap-gripping position.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view showing the adjuster of the buckle in strap-released position as when adjustment is being effected.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the major element of the strap adjuster.

The present buckle 5 connects a strap end 6 with a strap end 7 that is provided with a connector S. The buckle 5, essentially, comprises a base shell or lower part 9 and a cover shell or upper part 10 connected by a hinge pin 11 at one end of the buckle. Thus, the shells 9 and 10 are capable of relative pivotal movement around the hinge pin 11 and it is this movement that is used for connecting and dis-connecting the connector 8 and the buckle. For this purpose, the shell 9 carries a latch that releasably engages the connector 8 and the shell 10, as exemplified by the cross pin 12, actuates the latch when the handle part 13 of the shell 10 is raised on the pivot pin 11.

The foregoing sets up a preferred environment for the present strap adjuster 15, the same being disposed between the shells 9 and 10 and operatively related tothe hinge pin 11 to grip or release the strap end 6, as desired.

The strap adjuster 15 comprises, generally, a gripping ICC sleeve 16 strung on the hinge pin 11, and a slide 17 loosely engaged with said sleeve, said slide being automatically movable to strap-gripping position (Fig. 2) upon imposition of tension on the strap 6 in a direction away from the buckle in which position the bight 18 in the strap 6 is gripped by sleeve 16, and movable to strap-releasing position (Fig. 3) upon manual displacement in the direction oppo-site to the direction of applied tension of the strap, whereby the bight 18 in the strap is released from gripping connection with the sleeve 16.

The internal bore of the sleeve 16 is larger than the diameter of the hinge pin. Therefore, said sleeve is loose on the pin and can both roll around the pin and adjust itself as it grips the strap. In any case, the-sleeve is loose, rather than fixed. The outer surface of said sleeve is preferably knurled or roughened so' that there is minimum slippage between said sleeve and the strap, thereby reducing wear on the strap.

The slide 17 comprises a transverse wall 19 that is provided with end walls 20 that are dependent from the rearward or inward portion of wall 19. The forward or outward portion of said wall 19 is bent at a shallow angle to provide a sloping wall part 21 and said wall part is further bent to provide a wall part 22 that is in a plane at right angles to the plane of wall 19. Thus, the slide 17 comprises a U-shaped frame that has a laterally extending portion that is so formed as to provide a space 23 between wall part 22 and the near edges of the end walls 20.

The slide 17 further comprises a fixed round and surface-knurled rod or shaft 24 that extends between the end walls 20, parallel to and spaced from the wall 19. Thus, the space 23 is dened, on one side by said shaft 24.

The above-described slide is loosely positioned between the buckle shells 9 and 10 with the wall 19 thereof between the sleeve 16 and the upper wall 25 or" the shell 16, the shaft 24 on the inner side o-f said sleeve, and the wall part 22 on the outer side. Thus, the sleeve 16 extends transversely through the space 23. Itwill be seen that said space, in its dimension between wall part; 22 and shaft 24 is considerably greater than is the diameter of said sleeve 16. In this manner the slide is retained captive in the buckle and yet is freely slidably relative to the sleeve 16 andthe hinge pin 11 on which said sleeve is strung.

In practice, the slide portion that comprises wall part 21 and 22 projects beyond the outward edge 26 of the wall 25. Thus, the slide is readily accessible to be pushed in an inward direction.

The strap 6 has its bight 18 trained from beneath shaft 24, around said shaft to form a strap-tightening end 27 that extends, in double-back relation to the strap 6 out- Ward of the buckle. Said end 27, after passing over the shaft 24, passes under sleeve 16 between said sleeve and the strap 6. The latter has ilatwise engagement with the outer wall 28 of the buckle shell 9.

It will be seen from Fig. 2 that pull on the strap 6 draws the slide in the direction of such pull and causes the strap end 27 to be tightly gripped between shaft 24 and sleeve 16. if it is desired to tighten between straps 6 and 7, after the buckle has been connected, it is necessary only to pull on strap end 27. This increases the mentioned tension and automatically increases the force of the grip, of the adjuster 15. To loosen the grip, all that is necessary is to push inwardly on the slide wall 22 which causes the slide to move in a strap-releasing direction, as shown in Fig. 3.

While the foregoing specification illustrates and describes what I now contemplate to be the best mode of carrying out my invention, the construction is, of course, subject to modification without departing from the spirit outer ends for receiving a strap end to be buckled and opposite inner ends and a connecting hinge pin located toward one end for said shells, a loose sleeve on the hinge pin, a slide located between the shells and provided with a fixed shaft parallel to the sleeve on the side thereof toward the inner ends of the shells, a strap being adapted to be passed between the lower shell and the fixed shaft,

over the fixed shaft and under the sleeve, to form a bight in said strap and the strap being extended beyond the bight and outwardly of the buckle to provide a straptightening end, and an extension on said slide spaced from the fixed shaft thereof and located outwardly of the sleeve, said extension constituting a means adapted to be manually pushed inwardly to move the slide inwardly relative to the sleeve and to strap-releasing position, said extension and fixed shaft defining a space between them that is greater than the diameter of the sleeve to enable such movement of the slide. v

2. In a buckle according to claim 1, the slide has a wall and opposed edges that guide the slide between the shells. I

3. In a buckle according to claim l, the two shells have opposed walls between which the slide is located and which engage the slide to guide the same during movement thereof between strap-gripping and strap-releasing positions.

4. In a buckle having an upper wall with an outer edge, strap adjuster means comprising a pin in the buckle parallel to said outer edge under the upper wall, a loose sleeve on said pin, a slide loosely positioned in the buckle movable transversely to thepin and provided with a portion in outward overstanding position relative to said sleeve, a fixed shaft on the slide parallel to and positioned inwardly of said sleeve, the space between said outward portion and the shaft being greater than the diameter of the sleeve whereas the slide is slidingly movable relative to said sleeve to clamp or release the bight of a strap that is trained over the fixed shaft and between said shaft and sleeve and under the sleeve according to whether the strap is under tension or the slide is manually pushed in a direction opposite to the application of such tension, the slide moving in an outward direction to clamp the strap bight between the mentioned shaft-and sleeve when the strap is placed under tension, and a push on the slide in an inward direction separating the shaft and sleeve to release said bight and, therefore, the strap.

5. In a buckle according to claim 4, the slide is provided with opposed portions that `are guided by the buckle to hold the slide in sliding position relative to the sleeve.

6. In a buckle according to claim 4, the mentioned overstanding portion of the slide being disposed beyond the outer edge of the buckle when the strap is gripped, the same constituting a handle by means of which the slide is manually movable inwardly to strap-releasing position.

7. In a buckle, shell means with an outer edge, a pin xed in said shell means parallel and adjacent to the said outer edge, a slide in said shell means with a portion inward of the pin and a portion outward thereof and extending beyond the outer edge of the shell, said slide being slidable inwardly and outwardly, a shaft ontsaid Y slide between the inner portion thereof and said'pin,

in said shell parallel and adjacent to said outer edge, a

slide in said shell with a portion inward of the pin and a portion outward thereof and extending beyond the outer edge of the shell, said slide being slidable inwardly and outwardly, and a shaft xed on said slide between the inner portion thereof and said pin, lwhereby the end of a strap having a standing part may be passed inwardly around the shaft and between the standing part and the pin to tighten the strap by pulling out ,the strap to bring said shaft toward said pin, the outward end of the slide being provided with a part that is adapted to be mauually pushed in an inward direction to loosen the strap.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

